There was a notable shift in mood at the Conservative conference this year compared to recent ones. Until last year, the party had been in government and its conferences focused on the leaders’ speeches, while last year was dominated by the leadership race following the general election. This year’s conference in Manchester had a different pace, as the party settled into opposition and started to look more closely at the policy work it wants to do ahead of the next election.

The Conservatives’ slump in the polls to third place behind Labour and Reform informed much of the debate, which often centred on the performance of leader Kemi Badenoch. There was also much discussion about the possible path back to power for the party, whether they would enter an electoral pact or coalition with Reform, and which policy areas it needs to engage with to become electable. This frequently turned to the state of the electoral system, which on current polling would likely operate in a disadvantageous way for the Conservatives.

Tories warned they’re likely to get fewer seats than Lib Dems under FPTP – even with more votes

The ERS was in Manchester to engage in debate around electoral reform with MPs and media figures, as well as to support colleagues in Conservative Action for Electoral Reform (CAER), who were making the case for the Tory party to support a proportional system for Westminster.

One fringe in particular highlighted how difficult an obstacle First Past the Post is becoming for Conservatives seeking an electoral comeback at the next election. This was the event held by polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice. The eminent political scientist gave a detailed presentation to a packed room on how the party was faring in the current polls, indicating that a large chunk of its core vote had split off to other parties, predominantly Reform. He warned that this meant the party would likely be penalised at the next election and could end up with fewer seats than the Liberal Democrats, whose vote is more efficiently distributed – even if the Tories win more votes overall.

FPTP is becoming an increasing blockage to the party’s path back to power

Colleagues from CAER were quick to point out to other party members that there is now a compelling case for the Conservatives to back PR for Westminster, as they are becoming one of the parties not getting a fair share of MPs for the votes they win.

The case was further underscored at another fringe event held by polling firm More in Common, which broke down how steep the ascent back to power now is for the party given the split on the right of British politics with Reform. Luke Tryl, the polling company’s director, pointed out that the party must win back voters who have left for both Reform and the Liberal Democrats, making its position even harder under a winner-takes-all voting system such as FPTP.

This year’s Conservative conference marked a clear turning point for the party. Whether the party embraces this shift or continues to rely on a system that once favoured it, but now hinders its prospects, may prove decisive in shaping its future relevance in British politics.

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Electoral reform took centre stage, literally, at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool this year. Andy Burnham was the lead speaker at the rally calling for reform of Westminster’s voting system, hosted by colleagues in the Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform and Labour for a New Democracy.

The drama surrounding the Greater Manchester Mayor’s perceived challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the government’s performance meant there was a thronging press pack to witness his speech calling for a reset of politics at Westminster, with a proportional voting system at its heart. He told the packed auditorium in Liverpool’s ACC:

“There is nothing more unstoppable than an idea whose time has come – and PR’s time has come.”

“There’s nothing more unstoppable than an idea whose time has come – and PR’s time has come.”

💬 @AndyBurnhamGM

🌹 #Labour4PR #Lab25 pic.twitter.com/RNaYjikrY7

— LCER (@Labour4PR) September 28, 2025

Outside the rally, proportional representation and electoral reform were frequent topics throughout the conference. This year, the ERS was in Liverpool discussing these issues with senior journalists and politicians, as well as giving briefings on democratic reform.

Multiparty politics and PR were frequent topics of discussion

The uniquely fractured state of British polling put a particular spotlight on electoral reform, as the multiparty nature of how the public is voting is straining the two-party First Past the Post system. It was pointed out that five parties are now polling at or around 10% of the vote, making First Past the Post highly volatile, as seen in the General and Local Elections.

The fluctuating polls have fuelled growing interest in how the 2026 elections will play out, where voters will cast ballots under three different systems: the proportional Additional Member System (AMS) and Closed List systems in Holyrood and the Senedd respectively, and First Past the Post in English local elections.

There was also significant focus on the potential for electoral reform in the government’s forthcoming Devolution and Elections Bills. In the former, Labour intends to roll back First Past the Post for mayoral and police commissioner elections and replace it with the preferential Supplementary Vote (SV).

The epiphany that led Andy Burnham to support PR

At an IPPR event on devolution, Andy Burnham, who sat on the panel, described how standing under SV for the first time in the mayoral elections, after years as an MP under First Past the Post, converted him to the cause of PR.

He said that for the first time he had to appeal to voters beyond Labour’s narrow base to win second-preference votes from Green and Liberal Democrat supporters. This, he said, encouraged a more collaborative approach to politics that he carried into Manchester City Hall. Mr Burnham told the audience that he’d found the public wanted political parties to work together to get things done, rather than be constantly at odds with each other.

Meanwhile, the new Housing Minister, Steve Reed, who holds the democratic reform brief, was questioned at another IPPR event about his plans for the Elections Bill. The Bill promises to expand the franchise to 16-year-olds across the UK, introduce automated voter registration (AVR), expand the forms of ID accepted at polling stations, and tighten transparency rules around political finance.

Support the Electoral Reform Society presence at conference by becoming a member

Members support our work in parliament, in the press and online – making the case, and backing it up – for how we can fix Westminster’s broken system.

Join the Electoral Reform Society

I have just returned from a very sunny weekend in Bournemouth at the annual Liberal Democrat conference.

As is usually the case at the Liberal Democrats annual meeting, the mood was jubilant. With 72 MPs, and a Labour party in the throes of an internal leadership election and falling poll ratings, the Liberal Democrats took full advantage of a weekend of news coverage.

What struck me most about the party’s direction is its serious new policy offerings in the economic and energy department. In a voting system which rewards a two-party system, they are trying to position themselves as the second horse in a ‘two-horse race’ between themselves and Reform UK at the next General Election.

Regardless of this, the party remain strong in their commitments to a proportional voting system and reforms to make voting fairer.

Conferences are always a good opportunity for our teams on the ground to build better relationships with MPs and their staff teams and I enjoyed many conversations with the party’s MPs from regions across the country, including the devolved nations. These were largely about where we can help MPs make the case for democratic reforms in the House of Commons and Lords in the upcoming legislation that could bring ERS campaigns into law. My conversations also extended to the general mood of the parliamentary party, who the rising stars are and what direction the party could take before the next General Election.

The voting system

Amongst the many fringes on offer this weekend, the Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform (LDER) hosted two of their own. In keeping with the party’s serious tone over the conference, conversation at fringes relevant to voting reform focused not on which voting system is better but rather, how do we get there?

The first was a panel discussion called ‘What’s next in the fight for fair votes?’ featuring Olly Glover MP, Lisa Smart MP, Lord Mark Pack, chair of LDER Sarah Lewis and Joe Sousek, from the Secretariat for the APPG for Fair Elections.

Conversation centred around the progress of the APPG – now the largest in parliament – and their recent publication of a ‘terms of reference’ for a National Commission on Electoral Reform. There were many questions about the uptick in Labour MPs support for a change in the voting system but disappointment on why they weren’t putting their heads above the parapet to say so just yet from party members. Olly Glover said: “[On Labour MPs] many of them did speak up [during the 10-minute rule bill] but we need to give them more air cover and find more of them”.

On the prospect of a National Commission, Lord Pack said: “the state of our politics is so completely different so whether that means there is an opening is through the Elections Bill or further down the track is an open question, but it does feel like a much more realistic question”.

Opportunities with votes at 16

Later that same day LDER hosted their second panel, in collaboration with Unlock Democracy they discussed the opportunities for young people ahead of the expansion of the franchise to include 16 and 17 year olds.

With the introduction of votes at 16 recently announced by the government, a long held policy for the Lib Dems, there is a new raft of voters the party must now make a concerted effort to offer policy appealing to this new demographic. With the party’s commitment to positive messaging and headline grabbing stunts, only time will tell whether their plans come off.

A strong voice for democracy

With the party’s full support for proportional representation at local and national level – proven by their amendment to the English Devolution Bill – votes at 16, and more options for voter ID, they remain a strong voice for democracy in the House of Commons.

With 72 new MPs and a strong commitment to voter equality, we are committed to working with them to ensure our policies are front and centre in the upcoming debate on the Elections Bill.

Support our work at party conferences

ERS Members support our work in parliament, in the press and online – making the case, and backing it up – for how we can fix Westminster’s broken system.

Join the Electoral Reform Society today